Wild scenes as South Australia end 29-year wait for Sheffield Shield title (2025)

Having broken their 29-year drought between Sheffield Shield titles, South Australia hope it doesn’t rain but it pours.

SA captured the coveted Shield for the first time since 1995-96 with a four-wicket win over Queensland in the final on Saturday.

Set 270 runs to win, Jason Sangha’s sterling unbeaten 126 and Alex Carey’s classy 105 steered SA to 6-270 on day four of the decider in Adelaide.

SA’s triumphed with the highest successful run chase in a Shield final, eclipsing Victoria’s 2-239 against NSW in 1990-91.

The South Australians now hold the Shield and the one-day trophy in the same season for the first time, having downed Victoria in the 50-over final on March 1.

And first-year coach Ryan Harris wants more.

“We’re going to try and win a few now,” Harris said.

“We will definitely enjoy this one, but I have already started thinking about next year.”

SA’s Shield champion XI featured just two South Australian-born players, Carey and opening bat Conor McInerney.

The drought-breakers came from here, there and everywhere to SA, the driest state on the driest continent.

Some were discards, others were stale – all were seeking opportunity in what was the lost land of Australian cricket.

Since SA’s 1995-96 Shield win, the state finished last 15 times, including 10 of those dreaded wooden spoons in 13 summers from 2009-10.

“It has been too long – and the history is what it is,” said Carey, who played in losing Shield finals in 2016 and 2017.

“I didn’t think time was running out, but I was just super keen to do everything I can to help us this year.”

Carey hit four tons in five Shield games this season and, on Saturday, combined for a match-defining 202-run partnership with Sangha to rescue SA from a precarious 3-28.

Sydney-born Sangha, fittingly, entered SA sporting folklore by scoring the winning run – a year after being told by NSW he was no longer required.

“I thought my career was over,” the 25-year-old said.

“South Australia gave me a second chance. I owe them everything, really. They have saved my career.”

Carey and Sangha’s partnership followed earlier heroics from SA paceman Brendan Doggett, who returned the best-ever match figures in a Shield final, 11-140.

Born in Rockhampton, Queensland, Doggett won two Shields with the Bulls and took the match-winning wicket with his last ball for the state in the 2021 final.

“I was probably a little bit naive with my first two,” Doggett said.

“Just being young and being in a really strong side, I probably didn’t realise how hard they were to win until arriving here.”

Brisbane-born Nathan McSweeney, who turned 26 three weeks ago, has now captained SA to Shield and one-day titles, and Brisbane Heat to the 2023/24 BBL trophy.

McSweeney moved to SA for the 2021/22 season and felt the weight of the Shield drought.

“When it has been a long time and you feel a little bit of external pressure as well, it makes it a little bit nicer,” he said

The South Australians weathered an extraordinary Queensland fightback.

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The Bulls were skittled for 95 in their first innings, SA replied with 271, and Queensland were on the ropes at lunch on day three: 6-221, just 45 runs ahead.

But centuries to Jack Wildermuth and Jack Clayton gave the Bulls a chance.

“The Queensland spirit just lives so deep within,” Bulls captain Marnus Labuschagne said.

“It is passed down from generation to generation.

“We kept digging in ... and we found ourselves almost stealing the Shield off South Australia.”

AAP

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